India start as favourites, says Smith

India will start the forthcoming Test series as favourites but South Africa is good enough to dethrone them and regain the world number one tag, visiting captain Graeme Smith said.

"Beating India in India is always a difficult task. In my nine years of international cricket, I have always found India to be a very formidable opponent. So they will definitely start as favourites here," said Smith in his first interaction with the media after arriving at Nagpur.

"But we have also done well in the past in the subcontinent and would try to play better cricket and beat them."

"We have been doing well in the last two years and we hope to bring that confidence in this series. India are currently the number one Test team but we hope to take away that status from them in this series," said the left-hander.

Smith said his teammates have fair idea about the conditions awaiting for them in the Test series starting on Saturday.

"The conditions here will also not be easy. There will be low bounce, pitch will turn more and would assist reverse swing. But we also have quality batsmen in our team and it would be a good challenge," he said.

Even though spin remains India's traditional strength, Smith said his team would not lag far behind in the slow bowling department.

"We also have a good spin attack in JP Duminy and Paul Harris. The players have been together for quite sometime now and the results are reflecting in their positive mindset. It is a great opportunity for us knowing that not many teams have tasted series victory in India," the Protea skipper added.

Smith pointed out SA's good record in the sub-continent, including in India in the last series.

"Our recent record on the sub-continent is pretty good. We won in Pakistan, we won in Bangladesh and we came very close to winning a series here in India. We were 1-0 up going into the last Test match," he said.

Smith said that after having beaten both England and Australia in their backyards, his team was aiming to add another feather to its cap by bearding the Indian lion in its own den.

"There are few teams who have come here and won here. But we have won in England and we have won in Australia, so this is our opportunity to tick this particular box as a team."

"Beating a major opponent on their home ground is a real achievement and it is a wonderful opportunity for this group of players," he said.

The South African team will play Board President XI in a two-day warm-up match starting at Nagpur tomorrow and Smith said the game comes as an opportunity for his side to acclimatise with the tricky Indian conditions ahead of the Test series.

"We are excited to play the series and we have five days to go. The two-day match will be important as it would be an opportunity to jam and acclimatise ourselves, make our brain work in the right way," Smith said.

The second and final Test would be played in Kolkata from February 14-18 before the two teams fight it out in the three-match ODI series starting February 21 in Jaipur.